Bloomberg Maersk Leads Shipping Industry Developing Fuels From Waste BusinessWeek … algae , encountering “very few problems,” said Jacob Sterling, head of climate and environment at Maersk, which is based in Copenhagen. “The beauty of biofuels is that they work with the engines as they are today,” Sterling said in an interview

Shipping firm Maersk and the U.S. Navy are testing algae-based biofuel on the container ship Maersk Kalmar. The ship is en route from Northern Europe to India.

The 300 meter-long (980 feet) container ship has a dedicated auxiliary test engine, which reduces the risks of testing, and its fuels system has special biofuel blending equipment. Maersk says that these two key attributes that make it a suitable vessel for biofuel testing.

During its month-long, 6,500 nautical mile voyage from Bremerhaven, Germany, to Pipavav, India, the ship will use 30 tons of biofuel. Engineers and crew onboard are testing blends ranging from 7 percent to 100 percent.

The team is also analyzing emissions data on nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, CO2 and particulate matter from the fuel use, along with effects on power efficiency and engine wear and tear. Tests are scheduled to conclude in early December with an analysis of results following soon thereafter.

In other biofuels news, FuelCell Energy Inc. has announced a partnership agreement with Abengoa S.A. to develop localized stationary fuel cell power plants. The companies will target markets in Europe and Latin America, and Abengoa will also work to develop a process to let the cells run on liquid biofuels.

A draft executive summary of the study was released this week ahead of a GVHA board meeting.

The study’s findings are that installing shoreside power for cruise ships would be the most cost-effective way of reducing emissions.

The option recommended by AECOM is a system allowing one vessel at a time plug into the regional power grid.

Estimated infrastructure costs would be around $8.8 million, including $6.8 million for an on-site shore power system and $2 million for upgrades to the grid.

Some 230 cruise ship visits are expected at Ogden Point this year and AECOM said 75 visits would be from ships equipped to use shore power.

The nearby port of Vancouver already uses cold ironing and the port authority, Port Metro Vancouver, has estimated that each cruise ship that plugs into the shore power brings emissions reductions equivalent to taking 80 cars off the road.

Other North American West Coast ports offering shore-side power to cruise ships include Seattle and Juneau.

The cruise industry in western Canada has been facing opposition from residents worried about its impact on the environment. A study published last year suggested that the social and environmental costs of the cruise industry, in terms of emissions and traffic congestion,had been largely ignored.

Vessels are given a financial incentive for reducing their speeds during routine calls made to the port

The Port of Los Angeles has announced it has recognised the top performing shipping and cruise lines for helping to reduce air pollution by lowering their vessel speeds during routine calls made to the port.

According to a press release, the recognition is part of the port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP), an initiative that sets a standard for ocean-going vessels to decrease their speeds as they approach the port.

Customer’s that were recognised in this year’s VSRP included Yang Ming Marine Transport, Disney Cruise Line and Evergreen Marine.

Orient Overseas Container Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Hapag-Lloyd were also recognised.

“Year after year, the Vessel Speed Reduction Program has proven to be a successful component to improving air quality,” said GeraldineKnatz, Ph.D., executive director at the Port of LA.

“The Port of Los Angeles is fortunate to have forward-thinking customers who support these environmental programmes, while raising the bar higher and setting a global standard.”

The VSRP is a voluntary programme which started in 2001 with aims to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from ocean-going vessels by slowing their speeds as they approach or depart the port, generally at 20 nautical miles from Point Fermin.

In recent years, the programme has been extended and now includes incentives for reducing speeds at 20 nautical miles as well as 40 nautical miles, stated the press release.

The port added that last year, 332 vessels were 100% compliant in the programme, which aided in the reduction of 84 tonnes of diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions, 808 tonnes of sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions, and 1,158 tonnes of NOx emissions.

Vessels that achieve a 90% or higher participation rate to the VSRP receive financial incentives from the port.